Newsletter: Working From Home Is the Best!

Every now and then, someone publishes an article claiming that working from home is bad and you should definitely go back to a “normal” office. I’ve read them all. And every time, I find the same recycled myths — so let me bust them, one by one. Based on an essay I wrote almost a decade ago

Note: this is a transcript of the email Newsletter I sent to my 1500+ subscribers a while back. If you want to be one of them, sign up for my free Newsletter. You can unsubscribe anytime! or if you use LinkedIn, you can subscribe there, too!

Working from home myths, debunked!

At Nozbe, we’ve been working fully remotely for close to two decades and with this setup we are still able to run a successful business, offering an app people love. We know very well what the critics always get wrong:

“It kills productivity.” Actually, it destroys the single biggest killer of productivity — the open office. Deep, focused work requires uninterrupted time. You get that at home, not in a cubicle farm with someone swiveling over to ask you a question every 30 minutes.

“It creates work-family conflict.” The opposite is true. You’re closer to your family. You have flexible hours. You can attend your kid’s school event without requesting a half-day off.

“Collaboration suffers.” Does it, though? Real collaboration isn’t constant chatter — it’s focused individual work followed by feedback sessions. That rhythm works perfectly remotely. And written communication, contrary to popular belief, is often more effective than a hallway chat. It’s asynchronous, thoughtful, and documented.

“You lose spontaneous, creative interactions.” Random corridor chats are overrated. Scheduled brainstorming with people who’ve had time to prepare their ideas? That’s where the real breakthroughs happen.

“You’ll be less fit.” Laughable. I go for a run at 2pm when my energy drops. When exactly do office workers find time to exercise? During their commute?

“You’ll lose your sense of belonging.” You build culture through how you communicate, the tools you use, and the moments you do gather in person — not by sharing a floor plan.

The real reason we work remotely isn’t to save money on office rent (though that’s a nice bonus). It’s because it gives us the freedom to design a work life that actually fits our lives.

Remember:

Work is not a place you go to. It’s a thing you do.

P.S. This is based on an essay I wrote over a decade ago on my blog, and turns out these arguments hold true today still…